At 5/24/10 11:59 PM, Grubby wrote:

And for careers, what kind of jobs can you get with a history degree?

Beyond being a teacher? According to this site, you can do lots of things...

I brought this up a couple of pages back, and it's pertinent, doesn't pertain to the U.S. alone, and might get us some posts again. So...
Name your 25 top persons whom you think had the greatest hand in shaping the world as it is today, in no particular order. It doesn't have to be 25 really, but let's just keep it between 10 and 100.
1. Johannes Guttenberg
2. James Watt
3. Peter the Great
4. Genghis Khan
5. Kublai Khan
6. Henry Ford
7. Florence Nightingale
8. Neville Chamberlain
9. Adolf Hitler
10. Josef Stalin
11. Mikhail Gorbachev
12. Douglas McArthur
13. Norman Borlaug
14. Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov
15. Viktor Zdhanov
16. Donald Henderson
17. Pope Innocent III
18. Pope Gregory the Great
19. Henry Dunant
20. Petrarch
21. Vladimir Lenin
22. Martin Luther
23. Galileo Galelei
24. Albert Einstein
25. Nikolas Copernicus
26. Julius Caesar
27. Hannibal
28. Elizabeth I
29. Socrates
30. Aristotle
Sorry if this is a bit incomplete/random. I just put them down as they came to mind.

Hope you don't mind me dropping in here seeing as I have no history with the History Club, but I'm looking for more clubs on NG to join, and seeing as I like history I imagine this club would be pretty enjoyable to become a part of. I'm definitely not the best at history in here, though I like discussing subjects at the same time. I'm not too involved in longer past history, though. Most of the history I am interested in is more modern, though I wouldn't mind learning more about different timeframes I did not previously know much about. The people I have listed below are some of those who I was planning to add, but it is late, I am tired, and I cannot think properly to formulate reasoning for others. I hope that these are enough for now, and I hope that I am able to join in with the History Crew.

Adolf Hitler: Hitler himself may not have created anything, but it was the Nazi empire that he controlled that designed many things I personally had no idea about. They had such things as the Sturmgewehr 1944 (Storm RIfle 1944), which was commonly regarded as the first ever assault rifle. The design for the German MG42 light machine gun was used for the development of the American M60, which was an iconic part of the Vietnam War. They also advanced tank design, though perhaps not in the manner presumed, with the Landkreuzer P.1000 Ratte and the P.1500 Monster tank designs. Some of the influences from these designs the Nazis used were recycled by other societies, which are more prevalent and commonly accepted in the world. The assault rifle is a staple of any recent conflict, and without the initial design of the Nazi scientists it may not have been a reality, or designs may have been less advanced.

Mikhail Kalashnikov: This is more of a continuation of the paragraph on Adolf Hitler. Anyone with an interest in firearms or who has played a shooter for more than about 20 minutes may know of the legendary AK-47, which was designed by Kalashnikov, as a design to compete with the Sturmgewehr 1944 from the Third Reich. The weapon has shaped many conflicts around the world with its simple, reliable design, and its successors. While the successors themselves may not be Mikhail Kalashnikov's design, they all draw inspiration from this weapon. Which incidentally, drew inspiration from the STG. 1944. While Kalashnikov himself rejected the idea his weapon was designed from the initial German creation, the base idea was created by the Nazis. Due to the prevalence of the Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947, as it was fully known, the creation has had a massive part in shaping conflicts in the world. It is human nature to war, and the AK-47 has been a staple of many wars.

Nicholas Cugnot: While Cugnot's design for a vehicle was primitive, and it was nothing of note, it was incredibly ahead of its time. The car itself was slow and badly designed, but in the 1700s when the idea came to fruition it must have been something absolutely outstanding. It may not have been the creation that made automobiles a reality, but it put the idea into the heads of others.

Gottleib Daimler / Karl Benz: Between these two men, the first true car came to fruition in the late 1880s. While it had three wheels, it was still an automotive design, which paved the road to cars of today. The legacy of the two men remains even today, with Daimler-Benz AG still in existence.

Henry Ford: Henry Ford was the founder of the Ford Motor Company, as to be expected. However, what the company did is truly staggering. Ford had a 'stack 'em high, sell 'em cheap' approach to motoring, and with the creation of his Model T, he made motoring almost mainstream. While it was out of the reach of many mortals, it made the automobile a necessity, and not a luxury afforded only to the most affluent of people. In 1916, of the cars on the road, 55% of the cars were Model Ts. That is truly something amazing.

Just a bit of overlooked History: The Middle East. More specifically, Post World War II Iran. How many here can say the name of Iran's first democratically elected Prime Minister? How many knew that the U.S. and Britain conspired to overthrow him and install the Shah? And that it was actually Islamic fundamentalists who overthrew the Shah due to his authoritarian rule?
I've been researching a few countries for a few upcoming debates of mine over nuclear disarmament, so naturally, I delved into Iran and it's history. This little jewel was one of the first articles I stumbled upon, and it's a 'brief history of Iran post WWII. I myself found it interesting since, as I alluded to earlier, Iran's history is anything but commonly studied. That such a history is largely left out of commonly used text books and mandatory classes is a damn shame. So, if you're offered a course in Middle Eastern History, ancient or modern, or somehow get an opportunity to study the history of the region, I urge you to take the opportunity.

I love history and all, this thread doesn't seem very active, we should get an active discussion about something in history so we can all start talking about something. Anyone have any ideas for a good topic in history to talk about?

I'm down for this. I've always found history and ancient cultures fascinating. Just knowing what has taken place to mold the modern world into the state it is today.

Cool. now we really just need a topic to start off on.

Welcome, but we have a very on/off relationship with activity.
But I brought up Middle Eastern History and linked to a Post WWII History of Iran. So that's a possible topic.
Any other topic suggestions?

Hey guys! I really love history, it's my favorite subject to study. Is it ok if I join in the discussions?

At 9/6/10 01:30 PM, Patton3 wrote: Any other topic suggestions?

Recently I have been studying modern American history. (the Wall Street crash, discrimination of blacks, immigration etc) We could talk about that.

I say we just talk about major events in the 20th century

At 9/6/10 08:57 PM, cheese-man wrote: I say we just talk about major events in the 20th century

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sgycukaf qQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR-A4QFHZ BA

Perhaps those will give you some ideas.

Sweet, a club where I can discuss historical events. I'd really like to join to this crew.
I've been talking about the French empire in the Level up lounge for a few days, and I'm currently investigating everything about it in books and wikipedia.

At 9/6/10 02:24 PM, Trystlions wrote: Recently I have been studying modern American history. (the Wall Street crash, discrimination of blacks, immigration etc) We could talk about that.

Even if I'm not an American myself, I know some of the most historical moments in the American history.
I studied the Great Depression 1 year ago in my universal history class, and I've got to say that event proved clearly that if you can't really administrate your finances, there's a high risk of screwing it up. That's what happened back in 1929. In fact, each economical crisis that happens in the world, it's because of that in most cases.

Hay guys, i'm doing my exams to become a history teacher now, any suggestions on anything?

Made a video about history. It wasn't for a project or anything but I felt like taking the initiative. Who knows, I might be able to use it someday for one.

Anyways, check it out if you want.

I hope our U.S. citizens took a few moments away from the fireworks and the cook outs to remember what we celebrated today. Independence, and the creation of a free nation.

And yesterday, though I was not here to jot down anything to note it, was the 148th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, during which 7,863 men, both Confederate and Union, perished in the span of three days. It will never be recorded in the annals of history what we say about it, and the prayers we may offer for the countrymen we lost will not be recorded. But perish the thought that we should ever forget the sacrifice so many have made in the shadow of our banner, and in the name of a country dedicated to the idea that all men are created equal.

Happy Independence Day.